Not interested in 2012 vice presidential post: Nikki Haley

May 16, 2011 11:40 IST

The Indian American Republican Governor of South Carolina Nimrata 'Nikki' Randhawa Haley has said that she's not interested in being the vice presidential candidate of the Republican presidential nominee in 2012.

The 38-year-old daughter of immigrants from Amritsar, who is the first non-white governor of a state that had seceded from the Union when Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, told ABC News' This Week host Christiane Amanpour that suggestions that she would make "make a great vice-presidential nominee," and that she would "be great on any ticket," were "silly," and she had absolutely no intention of giving up her current job to be on any Republican presidential ticket.

When informed by Amanpour that "it's been discussed publicly" and whether she would "want to do that if you were asked," Haley emphatically replied, "No. I find it silly that it's being talked about, but I will tell you this. The people of South Carolina took a chance on electing me. It is my job and my family's job to prove to them that they made a good decision."

"I plan on committing to the people of this state my full four years in office, and I look forward to watching the 2012 and making sure those policy discussions are there, but I also plan on making the people of South Carolina very proud. I represent the best state in the country. There's no better job than that," she asserted.

When Amanpour said, " I heard a very strong commitment there. No waffle room.

No wiggle room," Haley reiterated, "No wiggle room at all. We are staying in South Carolina, and we're going to continue to lead it in a way that makes everyone proud."

In her interview with Amanpour, Haley also slammed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for some misogynist remarks he had made during a speech to a women's group. "That is not appropriate in South Carolina. We will give all of our candidates respect, and we certainly expect our candidates to come in and give the people of South Carolina respect," she said.

Asked if she believed Alaska Governor Sarah Palin would jump into the fray as a GOP presidential contender, Haley said, "She is amazing at getting people to know the power of their voice. I think that she woke up a lot of people in our country that just really thought that government was a waste of time and she got them to care again."

"And for that, I think that there will always be a place for her. But now it's time to talk about policy. And I think that if she chooses to get in, she'll understand that the policy issues of today are relevant and important right now too," she added.

In 2008, then Republican presidential nominee, Senator John McCain, who got trounced by then Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, had offered Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal his running mate position. But when Jindal declined, he decided on then Palin, who jumped at the offer.